title: Inhibition by galanin of experimental carcinogenesis induced by azaserine in rat pancreas.
abstract: The effects of galanin on pancreatic carcinogenesis induced by azaserine and on the norepinephrine concentration in the pancreas were investigated in male Wistar rats. Rats were given weekly injections of 10 mg/kg body weight of azaserine for 25 weeks and 8 microg/kg body weight of galanin in depot form every other day for 62 weeks. Azaserine-induced pancreatic lesions were examined with hematoxylin and eosin and histochemical techniques. In week 62, quantitative histological examination showed that prolonged administration of galanin significantly reduced the number and size (as percent of parenchyma) of adenosine triphosphatase-positive pancreatic lesions, which are correlated closely with the ultimate development of pancreatic cancer. The number of pancreatic adenocarcinomas in rats treated with galanin was significantly less than in controls. Galanin also significantly decreased the bromodeoxyuridine-labeling index of azaserine-induced pancreatic lesions and the norepinephrine concentration in the pancreas. Our findings indicate that galanin inhibits pancreatic carcinogenesis and that such inhibition may be related to the suppression of sympathetic nervous system activity and subsequently to the inhibition of cell proliferation in neoplastic lesions of the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatsuta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iseki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakaizumi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001377:Azaserine; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002273:Carcinogens; D019004:Galanin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D002273:Carcinogens; D001377:Azaserine; D019004:Galanin; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D009638:Norepinephrine